Daniel arap Moi

Daniel arap Moi (2 September 1924-) was President of Kenya from 22 August 1978 to 30 December 2002, succeeding Jomo Kenyatta and preceding Mwai Kibaki. He was a member of the Kenya African National Union.

Biography
Daniel arap Moi was born in Sacho, Kenya in 1924, and he became a teacher in 1945, but resigned in order to represent his native district in the colony's legislative council from 1957, as one of its first eight African elected members. He became chairperson of the Kenya African Democratic Union in 1960, and was made Minister for Local Government in the coalition government of 1963. He joined KANU after the 1964 dissolution of his party, and became Minister of Home Affairs until 1978. Vice-President since 1967, he succeeded Jomo Kenyatta as president on 22 August 1978. He announced a purge of the allegedly corrupt Kenyan bureaucracy and imposed a stern regime. Discontented with the lack of political rights, government corruption, and economic hardship, the country became increasingly restive during the 1980s, erupting into violent ethnic confrontations in 1992. This all but cancelled attempts to introduce greater political freedoms. In 2002, he was constitutionally barred from running for a third term, ending his 24-year rule.